Coaches peeved about game 12

By ROBBIE ANDREUSun sports writer

Published: Saturday, June 4, 2005 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 3, 2005 at 10:17 p.m.

SANDESTIN - Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive has made it clear to the league's football coaches and athletic directors that they need to start lining up some big-time opponents for the 12th game starting in 2006.
"It is my hope, both for our fans and our television partners, that the 12th game would be a quality intersectional game that would be of interest to our fans and our television partners," Slive said at the SEC's annual spring meetings.
To that idea, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville offers a quick and succinct response to the commish.
"Good luck," Tuberville said.
It's not going to happen at Auburn, Tuberville said, and it's probably not going to happen at the league's other 11 schools. Not under the current format, where the game will take up one of two open dates on the schedule and the season will not be extended.
The idea of playing 12 games - eight against SEC foes - in only 13 weeks has raised serious concerns among the league coaches and athletic directors. And the idea of filling one of the two open dates with a big-time opponent is meeting with a great deal of resistance.
"It would be great and we'd probably have some attractive games if they'd give us another date in which to play and not take away an open date," Tuberville said. "Next year (2006), we'll be playing 12 games in a row. That mean's I'm not going to play a Michigan or a Michigan State. You just can't do it. It's not feasible, right before I play Georgia and Alabama.
"It would be a little bit foolish for us to put our kids in that sort of situation. If they want us to play premier games somebody should start lobbying for another date during the season. They're not giving us a lot of opportunities to make this a good situation.
"They're really forcing us into playing teams that are Division I-AA or looking for a money game."
So far, SEC schools have not followed Slive's edict about lining up marquee matchups.
LSU has added Tulane to its schedule, Tennessee has reached an agreement to play Northern Illinois and Mississippi State will be playing Wake Forest. Georgia has set up a home-and-home with Colorado, a nationally known team that's been in decline in recent seasons.
"If we played only six conference games instead of eight, it would be different," Alabama coach Mike Shula said. "The SEC is so tough. You're going to ask yourself to go play another top-10 team across the country when you're playing a lot of top-10 and top-20 teams in the SEC. That definitely goes through your mind as a coach."
UF athletic director Jeremy Foley is in the early stages of finding a 12th opponent for the Gators in 2006. Foley has some teams in mind, but they certainly aren't traditional college powers.
"A 12th game is going to create a lot of controversy," Foley said. "Everyone thinks automatically that now Florida is playing Southern Cal and Oklahoma is playing Michigan and all that type of stuff. I don't see that happening.
"The 12th game is a significant source of revenue for every program in America. I think that's going to be a driving force in the way these schedules come down."
It's all about the money, which comes down to television and the reason Slive is pushing for attractive matchups. He wants to appease the networks and the fans.
But what about the players?
"I can't say I'm in favor (of the 12th game)," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "It is about money. I'm in it for the student-athlete. We have to be careful how far we take it. You start playing 12 games, plus a (conference) championship game and a bowl game and you're starting to push the envelope a little bit too far."
Said Tuberville: "I know it's for the money. We don't mind making money and putting it in the budget. They have to understand these players go through a hard two-a-days and for us to play 12 straight games, it's unfair to the players to have to go through that."
Tuberville and others say for the 12th game to be a success (and more manageable for the players), the NCAA needs to lengthen the season by a week, creating a second open date on the schedule.
"I wouldn't be for starting practice earlier," Tuberville. "We'd do it at the normal time and take a week away from preparation (for the opener), but get an open date during the middle of the season. (The current system) wasn't really thought out very thoroughly."
Foley said lengthening the season needs to be addressed.
"I'm not sure I'm anti-12th game yet," Foley said. "I know the two years we had it the seasons have been extremely long. I'm really in a wait-and-see mode (about the 12th game).
"I think the next part of this conversation is seeing an earlier start to the season and bringing the kids back to school earlier. The 12th game played in a 14-week season is not as big a concern as in a 13-week season. I think that's the next part of this conversation."
Not every coach in the SEC is seeing the negative side of the 12th game. South Carolina's Steve Spurrier says it's a good thing all the way around.
"I'm all for the 12th game," Spurrier said. "I'm shocked at some of these university presidents saying it's too much for football players when baseball plays, what, 72 games, and our basketball team played for about seven months this season. And university presidents are worried about playing a game on an open date?
"It's not too much for our players. I'd rather play than have an open date."
Spurrier is also all for playing a competitive opponent.
He's pushing for an South Carolina-North Carolina matchup at a neutral site (Charlotte, N.C.), hoping to create a Florida-Georgia type atmosphere.
"It's two state schools that border each other. It would be a natural game," Spurrier said. "Those are exciting games for the fans. We're trying to put it together."
The commissioner would approve.You can reach Robbie Andreu by calling 374-5022 or by e-mail at andreur@gvillesun.com.

<em></em>SANDESTIN - Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive has made it clear to the league's football coaches and athletic directors that they need to start lining up some big-time opponents for the 12th game starting in 2006.<br/>
"It is my hope, both for our fans and our television partners, that the 12th game would be a quality intersectional game that would be of interest to our fans and our television partners," Slive said at the SEC's annual spring meetings.<br/>
To that idea, Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville offers a quick and succinct response to the commish.<br/>
"Good luck," Tuberville said.<br/>
It's not going to happen at Auburn, Tuberville said, and it's probably not going to happen at the league's other 11 schools. Not under the current format, where the game will take up one of two open dates on the schedule and the season will not be extended.<br/>
The idea of playing 12 games - eight against SEC foes - in only 13 weeks has raised serious concerns among the league coaches and athletic directors. And the idea of filling one of the two open dates with a big-time opponent is meeting with a great deal of resistance.<br/>
"It would be great and we'd probably have some attractive games if they'd give us another date in which to play and not take away an open date," Tuberville said. "Next year (2006), we'll be playing 12 games in a row. That mean's I'm not going to play a Michigan or a Michigan State. You just can't do it. It's not feasible, right before I play Georgia and Alabama.<br/>
"It would be a little bit foolish for us to put our kids in that sort of situation. If they want us to play premier games somebody should start lobbying for another date during the season. They're not giving us a lot of opportunities to make this a good situation.<br/>
"They're really forcing us into playing teams that are Division I-AA or looking for a money game."<br/>
So far, SEC schools have not followed Slive's edict about lining up marquee matchups.<br/>
LSU has added Tulane to its schedule, Tennessee has reached an agreement to play Northern Illinois and Mississippi State will be playing Wake Forest. Georgia has set up a home-and-home with Colorado, a nationally known team that's been in decline in recent seasons.<br/>
"If we played only six conference games instead of eight, it would be different," Alabama coach Mike Shula said. "The SEC is so tough. You're going to ask yourself to go play another top-10 team across the country when you're playing a lot of top-10 and top-20 teams in the SEC. That definitely goes through your mind as a coach."<br/>
UF athletic director Jeremy Foley is in the early stages of finding a 12th opponent for the Gators in 2006. Foley has some teams in mind, but they certainly aren't traditional college powers.<br/>
"A 12th game is going to create a lot of controversy," Foley said. "Everyone thinks automatically that now Florida is playing Southern Cal and Oklahoma is playing Michigan and all that type of stuff. I don't see that happening.<br/>
"The 12th game is a significant source of revenue for every program in America. I think that's going to be a driving force in the way these schedules come down."<br/>
It's all about the money, which comes down to television and the reason Slive is pushing for attractive matchups. He wants to appease the networks and the fans.<br/>
But what about the players?<br/>
"I can't say I'm in favor (of the 12th game)," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "It is about money. I'm in it for the student-athlete. We have to be careful how far we take it. You start playing 12 games, plus a (conference) championship game and a bowl game and you're starting to push the envelope a little bit too far."<br/>
Said Tuberville: "I know it's for the money. We don't mind making money and putting it in the budget. They have to understand these players go through a hard two-a-days and for us to play 12 straight games, it's unfair to the players to have to go through that."<br/>
Tuberville and others say for the 12th game to be a success (and more manageable for the players), the NCAA needs to lengthen the season by a week, creating a second open date on the schedule.<br/>
"I wouldn't be for starting practice earlier," Tuberville. "We'd do it at the normal time and take a week away from preparation (for the opener), but get an open date during the middle of the season. (The current system) wasn't really thought out very thoroughly."<br/>
Foley said lengthening the season needs to be addressed.<br/>
"I'm not sure I'm anti-12th game yet," Foley said. "I know the two years we had it the seasons have been extremely long. I'm really in a wait-and-see mode (about the 12th game).<br/>
"I think the next part of this conversation is seeing an earlier start to the season and bringing the kids back to school earlier. The 12th game played in a 14-week season is not as big a concern as in a 13-week season. I think that's the next part of this conversation."<br/>
Not every coach in the SEC is seeing the negative side of the 12th game. South Carolina's Steve Spurrier says it's a good thing all the way around.<br/>
"I'm all for the 12th game," Spurrier said. "I'm shocked at some of these university presidents saying it's too much for football players when baseball plays, what, 72 games, and our basketball team played for about seven months this season. And university presidents are worried about playing a game on an open date?<br/>
"It's not too much for our players. I'd rather play than have an open date."<br/>
Spurrier is also all for playing a competitive opponent.<br/>
He's pushing for an South Carolina-North Carolina matchup at a neutral site (Charlotte, N.C.), hoping to create a Florida-Georgia type atmosphere.<br/>
"It's two state schools that border each other. It would be a natural game," Spurrier said. "Those are exciting games for the fans. We're trying to put it together."<br/>
The commissioner would approve.<br/>
<em>You can reach Robbie Andreu by calling 374-5022 or by e-mail at andreur@gvillesun.com.<br/></em>